Well-reamer



UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

WILLIAM D. BRADEN, OF DENVER, COLORADO.

WELL-BEAMER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 315,596, dated April14, 1885. Application tiled May 26, 1884. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern: Y n

Beit known that I, WILLIAM D. BRADEN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Denverl city, in the county of Arapahoe and State ofColorado, have invented certa-in new and useful Improvements inVVell-Reamers, of which the following is a specification, referencebeing had therein tothe accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to improvements in well-reamers; and the objects ofmy invention are to provide a means by which a well may be driven auniform size from the surface to the bottom, and a means by which thecasing may follow the work in order to prevent caving in. These objectsI attain by means of the device illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, forming a part of this specification, in which# r Figure 1 isa side view of the reamer asrepresented passing down or up through thecasing; Fig. 2, a view of the reamer in its normal position as in use;Fig. 3, a front view of the reamer in the position assumed duringdescent and ascent through the casing.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

In sinking wells where rock and quicksands or like substances have to bepenetrated, the practice heretofore has been to bore or drill down tothe rock and insert casing to prevent caving in of the quicksand orother like material. A drill is then used to penetrate the rocksufficiently smaller than the first used to pass down and up through thecasing. After drilling through the rock, should quicksands succeeded byrock again be encountered, the same process is repeated until thediameter of the well is lessened insomuch as in many cases tonecessitate abandonment.

In order to continue the well a uniform size from the surface of theground, I have devised a compressible reamer, which is desig` nated inthe accompanying drawings by the letter A, the lower part of which isdivided into two arms, a a, that normally diverge somewhat, as shown inFig. 2, and the inside surfaces of which are provided with grooves fromthe points e tof, which are indicated in the drawings by dotted lines.

Between the parts a a is suspended a mandrel, B, by means of a shortlever, D,fwhich is fulcrumed between the partsa a by means ofthe pin d.One end of thelever is coupled. to the stem of the mandrel D by means ofthe pin or bolt c. The outerend of the lever is convexed in such amanner as to t neatly inside of thewell-casing when in the position,"

shown in Fig. I.

E in the drawings represents quicksand or other material that might havea tendency to cave in, and F represents 'rock or other solid substancesthat may be encountered.

Having drilled down to the rock, the cas? ing is placed in the well,extending within a few feet of the rock, or may extend to the rock. Adrill is then passed down through the easing, and a hole driven throughthe rock, considerably less in diameter than the size of the'well, fromthesurface to the rock. The casing is then raised a few feet above therock. The reamer is then compressed, as shown in Figs. l and 3, andforced down through the casing.

In order to compress the reamer sufficiently to pass down through thecasing,the mandrel is raised upward from the position shown in Fig. 2 tothe position shown in Figs. 1 and 3 by4 forcing downward the outer endof the lever D. The parts a a may then be pressed together, as shown inFig. 3, and inserted into the casing and forced downward. As the parts aa pass out of the lower end of the casing,the reamer resumes its normalpositionfand when that part of the reamer to which the lever D isfulcrumed passes below the casing the lever r forces it into theposition-shownin Fig. I,A

raising the inner end of the lever Dupward, carrying the mandrel B upoppositethe grooves in the parts a a. The latter is then compressedtogether by the contact of the casing as the reamer is drawn upward.

By reference to the drawings it will be see that the grooves indicatedby dotted lines serve as a receptacle for the mandrel B when thel partsa ce are compressed together, that the reamer resumes its normalposition when passing below the casing, and that the lever D is releasedwhen below the tubing, which allows the mandrel to drop into positionbetween the parts aa in such a manner as to retain them a suieientdistance apart to ream the well the same size of that in which thetubing is placed.

Having thus fully set forth the construction and operation of myinvention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,1s-

l. The combination, substantially as set forth7 of the stock A and thenormally-d- Verging arms a a.

2. The combination, substantially as set forth, of the stock, itsnormallydiverging arms, and the mandrel located between the arms.

3. rIhe combination, substantially as set forth, of the steek, itsnormallydiverging grooved springarms, and the mandrel located betweenthe arms.

4E. In a reamer, the combination, substantially as set forth, of thestock, its normallydiverging arms, the mandrel located between the arms,and the lever for raising and lowering` the mandrel that projectslaterally from the arms, whereby the mandrel may be automaticallyadjusted as the reamer is raised or lowered. Y

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

VILLIAM D. BRADEN.

Vitnesses:

JAMES C. Sranirwnrirnnn, A. MIALL.

